


Lucifer's Wife

by Impala_Cherry_Trickster



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angel Wings, Angst, Awesome Charlie, Awesome Crowley (Supernatural), Everyone Is Gay, F/M, Hurt Sam Winchester, Leviathans, Lucifer Redemption, M/M, Nightmares, Protective Dean Winchester, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sam Winchester Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Sam Winchester Remembers Lucifer's Cage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-01-31 18:21:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18596869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Cherry_Trickster/pseuds/Impala_Cherry_Trickster
Summary: Sam needs help, everyone knows that. With what happened to him in the Cage, the group are surprised that he is still sane. So when Gabriel comes up with a mad idea, a creature just as powerful as Lucifer, to help Sam, the group agree. But will Atarah want to help them?





	1. Nightmares

It was completely and utterly ridiculous. Sam couldn’t see how this would ever work, but strangely his brother had agreed with the arch-angel. When Gabriel had turned up alive, Dean was probably the least happy, but now he couldn’t get enough of the Angel. Maybe it was because he was secretly trying to get with his baby brother. Sam snorted at the thought, the chemistry between Dean and Castiel was so obvious that nobody could deny it. Gabriel himself had seen it, and was happy playing matchmaker. But when a big threat had come along, Gabriel had brought up an idea that Sam knew couldn’t work. They didn’t have good luck, why would this be any different? In fact, this would probably just create another issue.

Sam knew his brother was worried about him. The two Angels were as well, Lucifer’s presence in his mind was an issue. But he didn’t want them to risk their lives to try and fix it, and that is exactly what was happening. Gabriel had brought it up, the idea, and now they were sitting at the house Gabriel had rebuilt at Sioux Falls, about to summon a creature that apparently rivalled Lucifer in power. The thought terrified Sam, who had already had enough with powerful creatures messing with his mind

_‘She is one of Dad’s creations, she was supposed to be Lucifer’s wife. But she had a temper, and spirit, a pure hatred of Luci. In fact, she rebelled against father and warded herself from Angels ever since. The amount of Grace she had, it’s incredible. Not quite an Angel, but something different entirely. Do you remember her, Cassie?’_

Castiel had not remembered the girl, which made Sam even more worried. They only had Gabriel’s word to go off that this girl hated Lucifer as much as they did. But if that were true, why had they allowed him to cause such destruction? Why had they stood by as heaven tore itself apart? Sam didn’t like this, but as he sat on one of the couches rubbing his arm carefully, he couldn’t think of a better option. Trust this weird chick, or end up with Lucifer permanently inside his head. His arm throbbed slightly, for once he was glad that the Angels in front had promised not to read their minds. How Dean would react to his current coping method would not be pretty.

Gabriel made eye contact, nodding across to Dean and Castiel who were reading one of the books together, flicking through it with interest. Sam smiled slightly, it made his heart swell to see his brother so happy. He deserved it, and more. Not that Sam could ever give him that, he just caused problems. Like the current one.

‘I think I’ve got all the ingredients. Except the blood from the Demon, we could do with Crowley.’ Gabriel disliked the King of Hell, Sam wasn’t the biggest fan either, and Crowley would end up asking too many questions. Sam flipped his phone out, finding the right number before dialling. It rung three times before the man picked up, voice lilted with sarcasm.

‘Moose, a pleasure. What can I do for you?’ Sam rubbed his temple, the pain he almost constantly felt was getting beyond bad. Lucifer would no doubt pop up soon, causing even more issues.

‘A vial of blood would be nice.’ Crowley snorted, hanging up the phone. Sam sighed, although it wasn’t entirely unexpected. The Demon had no reason to help them, but it would have been nice.

‘Whatever for?’ Although he stiffened, Sam made no obvious show of fear. He turned slowly, eyeing the man in the suit. Crowley looked amused, but the smile darkened when he saw the line of ingredients on the table.

‘Who are you summoning?’ He asked, stepping forwards, although he checked the space for Devil’s traps first. Upon finding none, he admired the ingredients.

‘Luci’s created wife. The not-so-Angel chick.’ Gabriel commented, and Sam wondered if the King of Hell had heard of her. He obviously had, because Crowley barked a laugh, before his face dropped.

‘Seriously? You’re chasing Atarah?’ So the girl had a name, brilliant. Sam chuckled at the meaning, it meant ‘Crown’ in Hebrew.

‘You know her?’ Dean asked, stepping forwards slightly. He looked to Sam, who felt guilt flood his veins. All this was his fault, they wouldn’t be trying to find her if it wasn’t for him. Gabriel moved forwards towards Crowley, but he held a hand up, pulling his phone out. He scrolled down, before smiling and bringing the phone to his ear.

‘Hello darling, yes it’s Crowley. I know, I know, I owe you seven favours. Fancy making it eight?’ Speech from the other side, and Crowley flicked his gaze to Sam momentarily. The man looked away, not wanting to get in a confrontation with anyone. In fact, he wished he was far away from here, curled up in the shower trying to forget Lucifer pressing against the cracks in his mind.

‘Four people wanting to meet you. No. Yes. Wait, don’t hang up. Gabriel is one of them.’ Silence apparently, Crowley smirking victoriously. He said goodbye, hanging up the phone quickly and pocketing it.

‘She’ll meet you in Kansas City, Museum Hotel. Said to check for a room under Novak.’ Sam blinked back shock, wondering about the 325 mile drive they would have to make. It wasn’t that he didn’t like driving, it was the fact he would have to sleep, and the thought of that made him want to be sick. Instead of thanking Crowley, he flinched slightly, aware of the fact that he could now see another person in the room, seated on the bed. Lucifer wiggled his eyebrows slightly, but Sam ignored him as he gave a tight nod to Crowley.

The others hadn’t noticed his predicament as they thanked Crowley, who took a mock bow.

‘It was my pleasure, odd bunch. I shall see you all… hopefully not in the near future. Oh, by the way, one of you should really help the Moose.’ He gestured in Sam’s direction, the younger Winchester could barely hear what was happening anymore. His head swum, and Lucifer’s mocking laughter wasn’t helping. He watched Crowley vanish, but wasn’t sure if that actually happened or whether it was his mind playing tricks.

Dean took his hands, he felt the skin against his and jerked back, eyes widening in fear.  Sam didn’t want this to happen again, the moments of Dean torturing him playing in his mind. It had been Lucifer, of course, but it still sickened him to think about it. Gabriel grabbed his shoulders, shaking him hard, Dean’s voice ringing in Sam’s ears. He started to figure they were trying to pull him back, so he carefully pressed his fingers against his sore arm, the pain making the figure of Lucifer disappear.

His body relaxed, eyes focusing on his brother and the two Angels. They looked concerned, Dean especially, but Sam ignored them as he stood. It was bad enough that he was wasting their time and energy driving to Kansas City to find a girl who wouldn’t help them without a price, without them having to coddle him for the entire journey.

‘I’m good. We leaving for Kansas City?’ Sam asked, grabbing his duffel from under the bed. He heard Dean snort, but Gabriel shook his head before agreeing with Sam verbally, and quietly the group packed. Sam eyed up the knife, before tucking it safely into his jacket. He told himself it was just to be safe, just in case he needed it. In case Lucifer showed up again.


	2. Not Real

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam struggles on the trip to the Hotel, and tries to hide his pain from the others.

Sam sat shotgun, listening to his brother playing stupid music, tapping the steering wheel of the Impala in time. The two Angels sat in the back, Castiel remaining quiet, shocking seeing as Gabriel was singing out of pitch. Sam rested his head against the window, the lack of sleep from the past months catching up to him. His eyes started to shut, despite his best efforts to stay awake, and slowly he drifted off.

‘ _Wakey, wakey! Up you get Sammy.’ Sam blinked, eyes widening as he took in the surroundings. The cage had been infinite, the space incredible, but strangely it was always burning. Burning, or freezing. Sam shuffled back, watching the Devil himself move forwards, grinning as he seemed to stalk his prey. The cage was just as he remembered, the hooks still hanging from the ceiling, and heat spread across his skin as if he were burning. He tried not to cry out, convincing himself that he wasn’t here, this was just a dream._

_‘If it’s just a dream, Sammy, then you won’t mind if I do this.’ Lucifer gripped hold of him, the skin burning where he touched, and boy was the Devil thorough in his touching. Sam refused to acknowledge him, grimacing and staring past, until his hand dipped towards the belt of his jeans. Sam froze, kicking back violently as Lucifer laughed, fire spreading across Sam’s body._

_‘Get off me!’ Sam knew he should stay quiet, it was always the better thing to do, but the Devil grinned and gripped tightly onto the clothing, hands tugging. Sam tried to roll away, to fight, but it wasn’t working._

_‘No, no, no…’ He mumbled it over and over as Lucifer smiled down, like a cat watching a mouse try and escape. Burning hot hands moved across his hips, the skin blistering painfully._

‘Sammy, wake up!’ Dean hit his brother hard, Sam shooting forwards and almost hitting the front of the Impala. Normally, he would’ve been mad at Dean for hitting him so hard, but right now he thanked every known creature that he hadn’t stayed in that dream any longer. His hands skimmed across his body, checking every limb was still in place and that the skin wasn’t burnt, although he could still feel the ghost-hands across himself. He ignored Dean’s staring, knowing the two Angels in the back were also listening, and looked out of the window.

‘Sam, talk.’ It wasn’t a question, the commanding tone did nothing to quell the sickness in Sam’s stomach. The more this happened, the happier he was that there was someone who may be able to help. He didn’t care what the price was, he would sell what was left of his soul for a good nights sleep.

‘I’m fine.’ It was a lie, Sam knew nobody would believe it, but usually his brother would take the hint and leave it. He figured it would be a safe bet, nobody needed to know what had happened to him in the cage. It was to embarrassing, Dean would never forgive him.

‘Bullshit. What happened?’ God, how could he ever tell Dean something like that? His brother would think him not worth saving, especially not worthy of whoever this chick was that they were visiting. He ignored his brother this time, looking away guiltily and pressing his thumb lightly into one of the cuts on his arm. The pain made his head hurt less, which was nice, although it didn’t change the way Dean was staring at him.

‘Sam!’ He shouted, anger flooding through. Sam flinched at his brother’s tone, and Dean recognised his mistake. It was like Lucifer was inside his head again, he couldn’t breathe, it would never end. The guy wouldn’t leave him alone, would never let him live.

‘Sammy please, just talk to me.’ The tone was too soft for Dean, it was altogether to emotional for the situation. Rubbing his hands together awkwardly, he looked up to find his brother gripping the steering wheel rather tightly, the music having been stopped.

‘It’s fine, Dean. It was just a dream.’ Right, a dream, one of the Cage. One where Lucifer was living up to his threat of making Sam his bitch. The Winchester flinched again, trying to ignore the pressure inside his head.

‘About what?’ Sam glanced in the mirror, noting the two Angels were also listening. It was like everyone wanted to know what was going on inside his head. But he couldn’t explain, not to them. They wouldn’t understand, he had spent so long in the cage, so long being the source of entertainment for the Devil.

‘The Cage.’ The word stung every inch of his body, the remembrance of the burning across his skin making him want to gag. He ignored it, ignored everything in favour of tapping his foot lightly on the floor. Dean looked across, and Sam knew he wouldn’t leave it like that.

‘What did he do?’ Sam could have hit his brother, or better, in that moment. He didn’t want to talk about it, he didn’t want his brother knowing what Lucifer had done. He couldn’t stand it.

‘Answer him, Sammy.’ Sam’s eyes flickered to the mirror, watching the figure sitting in between the Angels. Lucifer gave a steady grin, a wave that was nowhere near friendly. He looked away, trying to ignore the pain that was starting to burn his thighs. It wasn’t real. Just don’t focus on him, he isn’t real. Sam was struggling, chest heaving as he tried to ignore the Devil that seemed to know just when to appear.

‘Stop the car.’ He stated, Dean reluctantly pulling the car over. Sam basically threw the door open, stumbling out and emptying what little was in his stomach. His body ached like fire, and raising his head he spotted the Devil leaning against one of the trees. He shot Sam a wink, which the boy ignored, wiping his mouth and rinsing it with the bottle of water Dean chucked in his direction. Pressing harder into his forearm, the image of Lucifer disappeared, and for the meantime Sam knew it would be okay.

The rest of the journey was quiet, Dean didn’t attempt to ask him what he had seen in the Cage, and the Angels stayed quiet. Sam was thankful when the hotel came into sight, and Dean pulled the Impala up. It wasn’t like any of the motels they had stayed in, this thing was posh. Gabriel took lead, stepping forward and up to the desk that was quite high for the short Angel.

‘Room under Novak.’ The woman smiled flirtatiously, and Sam snorted as Gabriel gave her a wink. The woman typed happily, before looking up.

‘The Penthouse suite, tenth floor. Please enjoy your stay, Mr Novak. Miss Novak said she would leave a message in the room for you.’ Gabriel accepted the card from her, before walking back. Sam followed the group to the elevator, although he had to admit, he wasn’t too fond of the tight space. Apparently the entire tenth floor was their room, as it wouldn’t let them in without the card.

‘Jesus.’ Dean muttered, Sam agreeing with him. It was huge, a massive expanse of a living room with separate rooms coming off them. He figured there were at least four bedrooms, and on top of the main table was a bottle of champagne on ice, with five glasses. Gabriel walked across, taking the envelope that had been leant against the bucket, opening it before snorting.

‘I’ll bring dinner.’ He read, looking up. Sam glanced at his phone, seeing the time to be around lunch. That meant at least five hours until she was here.

‘Great, if we have to wait for her then I’m grabbing a room.’ Sam said, although he knew his brother wanted to talk to him. He opened one of the doors, happy to see a relatively plain room with a huge double bed. He shut the door behind him, locking it to ensure his brother wouldn’t disturb. The en-suite bathroom was large, basically the entire room was a wet-room. Hoping that a shower would wash off the scent of burning skin, Sam kicked his clothes of and stepped under the hot water, enjoying the slight burn.


	3. Team Free Will

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie turns up, and some Gummy bears are exchanged

Dean didn’t like how his brother refused to talk to him. It made him mad, but not directly at Sam. It was the fact that his brother didn’t feel like he could trust him enough. Watching him flinch when Dean had shouted, the elder Winchester had known that this was important. Whoever this Atarah girl was, they needed her. His brother had sealed himself in his room, meaning Dean had time to interrogate the Angels.

‘Why can’t you just snoop? Just a little bit?’ He practically begged, Gabriel shot him a look that told him exactly how bad the idea was. Castiel sighed, placing his hand gently on Dean’s thigh as he spoke. The man had to remember this was Cas, the Angel that had no idea what he was doing, rather than a rather attractive man. Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows in Dean’s direction as Castiel spoke, so Dean shot him a glare.

‘Dean, your brother has Lucifer in his mind already, entering without permission would break every bit of trust we have with him.’

‘Cassie’s right, lover boy. Let’s hope Atarah can help.’ Gabriel poured himself a glass of the champagne, looking between Dean and Castiel. Dean could practically see the gears grinding, before the Angel verbally announced he was going to check on Sam, leaving him with Cas. The Angel smiled, trying to look sincere. It took every ounce of strength for Dean to tear his gaze away from his lips, meeting the blue eyes instead.

‘I’m worried about him, Cas.’ He murmured, surprised when the Angel wrapped his arms around him. Dean would normally have made some joke, but this time he pulled him closer, enjoying the feeling inside his stomach. He knew it was selfish, but he really didn’t know what to do for Sam, and while he was waiting for his brother to open up, what was to stop him enjoying the company of Cas?

 

Gabriel left the two cuddling on the couch, smirking as he made his way to Sam’s room. He thought the younger Winchester needed support, especially with the way he had acted earlier. He tapped on the door lightly, hearing a shuffle behind the door. It unlocked, and the shaggy brown-haired Moose poked his head round, offering a small smile.

‘Gabe, you okay?’ Gabriel almost snorted, the boy needed his help, not the other way around. He pushed past him into the room, causing Sam to jump. The Moose reached for his jacket, but Gabriel caught the motion before he could. His eyes flicked to the cuts on the boys arm, but he didn’t speak. Sam made eye contact, looking away quickly out of guilt, before grabbing one of his flannel shirts and pulling it over the top, covering them.

‘Helps distinguish what’s real.’ He mumbled, awkwardly staring at Gabriel. The arch-angel studied him, wondering how he hadn’t noticed before. Perhaps he had been distracted by the Moose’s good looks. That could be a very real factor. He walked forward slowly, not wanting to freak the boy out, before they both heard the elevator ding. They practically sprinted from the room, Gabriel noting how quickly Dean pulled away from his little brother Cassie.

It wasn’t Atarah who stepped out, but it was a familiar face.

‘Guys, what the hell? Why was I brought here?’ The red-headed girl looked mildly annoyed, before she grinned and sprinted across to Dean, fist-bumping him before hugging Sam. She gave Cassie a wave, before she turned to me. Charlie gave me a smirk, before booping my nose. I snorted, ruffling the red hair, which caused a squeal in protest.

‘Who brought you here Charlie?’ The girl looked around, spotting the Champagne and grinning. She poured herself a large glass, before sitting down and kicking her feet up onto the couch. Gabriel liked the small woman, she was good fun, almost like the little sister of the Winchesters. He sat on the couch, noting how the Moose sat beside him.

‘I woke up, some dude in a suit comes into my apartment and tells me I’m taking a Winchester vacation. Get dragged from my apartment, dropped off here and told to go up to the suite on the tenth floor.’ Gabriel wondered why Atarah had brought her here, but figured there must be a reason.

‘Anyway, how did you guys afford this place?’ Gabriel leant forwards, although his shift in muscles made the Moose tense.

‘We didn’t, we’re here to meet a woman called Atarah.’ He quickly explained the situation, how the girl had been Lucifer’s betrothed, how she hated him, how they were going to ask for her help with Sam. At that, the red-head turned to Sam slightly and gave a small smile.

‘Still seeing the dick?’ Sam gave a brief nod, Gabriel was surprised that he had told the girl, and by the looks of it Dean was annoyed as well. Charlie moved across the room to wrap Sam in a hug, kissing his forehead.

‘Well let’s hope this chick is good, yeah?’ Sam chuckled, and Gabriel watched as the girl bounced back to her bag, pulling out her laptop and winking in Sam’s direction.

‘Up for some distraction?’

Gabriel was standing next to Cassie in the makeshift kitchen, it was too modern and sleek for the boys liking, but Gabriel was rather fond. Dean was slumped on the sofa, drinking beer despite the offer of Champagne, watching the two nerds on their laptops.

‘You could just go for it Cassie, Dean won’t make the first move.’ He nudged his younger brother, who seemed to understand what he was getting at. The Angel sighed, looking back to the scene in front.

‘I cannot, not while Sam is in need of help.’ It seemed reasonable, actually, if Gabriel thought about it. He glanced to the Moose, wondering if he would have a chance with such a specimen if the boy had his mind healed.

‘I will give you the same advice, brother.’ Castiel mentioned, following Gabriel’s eyes. The Arch-angel ignored him, although it made his stomach tighten at the thought. He couldn’t do that to Sam, not when he didn’t know what his brother had done to him. He felt responsible, after all he had been the one to tell them about how to open the cage. He just hadn’t expected the boy to jump in.

‘Gabe!’ Charlie called, and Gabriel walked across. The red-head grinned, offering her brightest smile.

‘Candy pleaseeeee.’ He snorted, watching as she fluttered her eyelashes at him.

‘Charlie, you’re gay, it doesn’t work. But sure, candy I can do.’ He summoned the bag, offering it out to her, watching her take the biggest handful of gummy bears she possibly could.

‘Samshine?’ He offered the Moose some, and watched in surprise as he accepted a few. It had never happened, the Moose was quite fond of rabbit food. Charlie seemed equally surprised, but said nothing. Dean watched his brother curiously, but accepted some of the Candy that Gabriel offered. Gabriel started humming to himself as he moved round the space, before it turned into full out singing, then serenading different people in the room.

Cassie sat beside Dean, watching in amusement as Gabriel sung to everyone, while eating different Gummy bears. Charlie was laughing, trying to video it on her phone, while Sam tried to hide the smile that was crossing his face.

They were all so busy, that none noted the elevator rise, nor the woman who stepped out. In fact, they didn’t see her until Gabriel finished the song, dramatically playing the air guitar before raising his head.

‘Still a better singer than your brother then, Gabriel.’ All heads spun, and the woman raised an eyebrow slightly. The arch-angel opened his mouth, but no sound came out.


	4. Crown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atarah joins the group, and offers Sam a choice.

Atarah had been terrified. She didn’t know whether to expect an attack from the Arch-Angel that would have been her brother in law. She knew that he would be with Sam and Dean Winchester, the two hunters whom appeared to be caught up in everything. Then the Angel Castiel, who would be a brother, if she had married the evil sonofabitch. It was quiet, the elevator ride. She had brought the young hacker with them, the hope was that Charlie would be able to offer her the payment. It wasn’t anything difficult, but she didn’t yet know what Gabriel wanted. When Crowley had called, she had been surprised. He owed her a lot, now even more, but it didn’t stop her from doing another favour.

Singing, that was the first thing that hit her ears. It reminded her of her early years, when the Heavens had been a good place, when she had got along with Michael and Lucifer. Together they would play pranks on Raphael, who she personally had never liked. Young Gabriel was always the sweetest, she had adored him, and had payed candy in return for his singing. She wondered if he remembered them moments, the moments where she would give him her undivided attention. When God himself had told her that she was to marry Lucifer, she had fled to Earth, leaving behind the four Archangels.

Lucifer and Michael had fallen out, badly, and she couldn’t believe the way Lucifer shifted. He turned into a creature of pure evil, one that could suck joy from everything. He terrorised her, chased her, and she wondered if Gabriel remembered the time when she had actually had wings. They were long gone, disappearing just before Lucifer was first thrown into the cage for not bowing down to the humans. Michael was not a lot better, the loss of his brother turned him sour. With Raphael dead, Atarah remembered feeling the loss, and Michael and Lucifer in the Cage, young Gabriel was the only Archangel left. His bond with Castiel was sweet, especially seeing as the young Angel had been easily corrupted in the fight against Raphael.

When the elevator opened, her eyes were drawn to the man singing. She thought of the boy she remembered, the young Angel who had the voice to match his name. He was notorious for his tricks, his love of attention, and Atarah felt the stabbing in her mind when she remembered such times. Her gaze flicked to the Angel Castiel, whom she had never actually met, but she could remember the talk of the young Angel. He was favoured, even from a young age, by Gabriel. Lucifer and Michael would not hesitate to rip him apart to get to the brother if they needed to.

‘Still a better singer than your brother then, Gabriel.’ She spoke clearly, even though the words stabbed her. Eyes turned to her, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the young Archangel. He froze, she wondered if he was confused by her appearance. After all, it had been billions of years since her creation, yet she still looked exactly the same as she always did. She had been what all humans had been crafted from, her looks passed onto Eve. Gabriel stepped forward slowly, studying her with curiosity.

‘Do I get candy?’ He asked, receiving shocked looks from his friends. Atarah smiled, glad he remembered the memories. She reached out, a small bag forming on her hand, before chucking it to him. He caught it, opening it and pulling out one large lollipop. They had been his favourite ever since he started his obsession with Candy, Atarah saw the joy in his eyes.

‘Don’t you always, after you sing?’ She took a hesitant step forwards, waiting to see if she would be accepted by the Angel. Castiel looked tense, looking between them nervously, but Gabriel broke the calm complexion with the biggest grin she had ever seen.

‘I’ve missed you, Atarah.’ He offered out his arms, and she didn’t hesitate now, stepping forward and wrapping herself into his arms. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, she had thought for so long that he hated her, that he would kill her if he found her. But now she was standing, the familiar scent filling her mind.

‘Look at you! You’ve grown so big, and your wings.’ She admired them, the three sets of golden wings truly were beautiful. He chuckled, she could see through the Grace to his wings, even if he was hiding them. Atarah turned to Castiel, the young Angel looked nervous.

‘This is my brother Castiel. Cassie, this is Atarah, the woman who gave me candy.’ Castiel gave a small nod, looking rather terrified, but Atarah gave him a warm smile, pulling him in for a hug. He awkwardly responded, hugging her back, and she admired the wings. Large, for such a small Angel, but then again he was pretty powerful.

‘Atarah… I’m sorry.’ Gabriel finally muttered, looking away when he said the words. Her eyes widened, but she refused to be angry at him. He was still a babe, he had no reason to apologise to her.

‘Forgiven, forgotten, Little Dancer.’ The nickname caught him off guard, and he blushed a shade of red that made her smile. She waited, before Gabriel finally decided to get to the point. He looked hesitant as he did so.

‘We need help… To get Lucifer back in the cage, well, Sam jumped in with him.’ He gestured to the hunter, who was standing tense. His eyes seemed haunted, and kept drifting over her left shoulder. He flinched every so often, the smallest of movements that she recognised.  As Gabriel continued to explain what the problem was, that Sam had spent all that time in the Cage, and now his mind was being torn apart, Atarah called upon her Grace to see what Sam could. The room didn’t really shift, but she heard a chuckling from behind her.

‘Sammy, kill her! She certainly isn’t good news, she’s a very naughty slut.’ Lucifer had never been creative with insults, so when Gabriel stopped talking, the entire room waited for her to speak.

‘Go on Sammy, she will just get in the way!’ It was actually Lucifer, he seemed to have some control over Sam even though he should be in the cage. It was phenomenal, had he not been a murderous idiot she would have found it fascinating.

‘Do it Sammy, or you and I will have to be reacquainted tonight.’ The boy visibly flinched, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Dean, the young hunter by his side, looked worried. Atarah chuckled slightly, turning around.

‘Lucifer, darling, do be quiet. You’re going to give the poor boy a heart attack.’ She stepped towards the vision, gripping through him and holding onto the Grace. It became visible for everyone in the room, who audibly gasped at the sight, before she burnt the image of him. Sam studied her, he had been the only one not to move when she had burnt the Grace. It wouldn’t stop him forever, but it would give Atarah enough time to look after Sam.

‘He isn’t a dream, not like this. He actually has control over part of your mind. I can help with that.’ Atarah paused, studying the hunter curiously. ‘Two bad things. One, it will hurt awfully. Not that you aren’t used to that.’ Sam briefly laughed, but it was forced. ‘Secondly, I’ll be able to see everything that happened to you, and will have constant access to your mind.’

‘No.’ He snapped, drawing away fast. Whatever her betrothed had done, it was bad. The poor boy was terrified, looking horrified by the very thought of her knowing. It was a good thing she had prepared for this situation.

‘I thought you might say such a thing. But Sam, no more Lucifer. No more dreams, no more hallucinations, complete control over your mind. I won’t ever step inside your head unless you ask, I can keep you safe from him. And shut down the thoughts, like the wall that was broken.’ Castiel flinched, but Atarah didn’t give him much mind. She needed Sam to let her help, especially now that Lucifer knew where she was. He would find a way to get the Demons to come after her, which wouldn’t be good. In fact, she couldn’t think of anything worse.

‘But you’ll see…’ He trailed off, looking hopeful that she would drop it. Atarah hesitated, wondering how to gain the boy’s trust.

‘I’ve seen worse. I know what Lucifer can do, Sam. Anything you’re worried about, I can assure you, it won’t change my opinion.’ Lucifer was going to burn for what he did. The image of him was already starting to form, and she knew Sam was losing control. What surprised the young woman was the adoration in Gabriel’s eyes, the utter devotion that he felt towards the Hunter. She wondered if Sam felt the same way back, but figured she would find out soon anyway.

‘Will you see all my memories?’ She nodded, and he flinched again. Atarah knew more about the boy than he probably thought, things such as Jess, and his father. Mary Winchester as well, all knowledge she had.

‘Why did you bring Charlie here?’ Atarah turned to the woman, and actually stopped. The red-headed girl eyes her up, looking a mixture of curious and angry. She was sporting a pouty expression, and the glasses made her look quite cute. Atarah remembered that she was supposed to be answering the question rather than ogling the young woman, so turned back to Sam.

‘I need a favour in return for getting rid of Lucifer. I need a file deleted from the FBI database.’ She could technically do it herself, but it wouldn’t go well. The people that were after her would find her if she did it herself.

‘I can do that.’ Charlie stated, smiling to Sam. He looked unsure, especially with Lucifer laughing in the corner.

‘Can you see him?’ Sam finally asked, looking awkwardly down at the floor. Why the boy was embarrassed for what was happening to him was beyond Atarah’s comprehension.

‘Yes, exactly as you do.’

‘Okay. How do we do this?’ Atarah grinned, flipping off Lucifer who was seated in the corner, before turning back to Sam. This was going to be good.


	5. Say Yes.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atarah looks through Sam's mind, and offers something in return

 

Sam was unsure if this was going to work. His brother stood by the door, looking nervous. Castiel had his hand holding Deans, and for once it didn’t cause an argument. It made Sam smile slightly, but it dropped when Lucifer started laughing. Charlie was standing next to them, hopping from foot to foot, agitated. Gabriel was by Atarah’s side, seemingly never going to separate from the woman. She wasn’t what Sam had expected, dark black hair, the brightest of blue eyes. Relatively tall, but she still seemed quite fragile.

Sam was shirtless, lying down on the bed. Gabriel walked across, openly roaming his eyes across him.

‘Wow, Moose. You’ve been holding out on me.’ He winked, but it looked forced. He was trying to relax Sam, but it wasn’t working. Atarah snorted, shoving Gabriel towards the door.

‘Sexy times later.’ She smiled at Sam, undoing the jumper she was wearing and shoving it off. A strapped top underneath, and when she turned he caught sight of two scars running down her back. Gabriel practically stopped breathing, Castiel sucking in all the air from around him.

‘Did… did Lucifer cut your wings off?’ Gabriel hissed, looking pained as he stared at her. Atarah didn’t acknowledge him, instead shot Sam a grin.

‘Ready hun?’ She questioned, Sam staring up at her. He saw the faintest sliver of fear, and he wondered how this would work. He gave a nod, watching her shoulders tense slightly.

‘Is this dangerous?’ He asked, suddenly feeling stupid for not asking the question earlier. Dean looked surprised as well, and Atarah looked away from him when she answered.

‘I can promise you that you will be fine.’ Sam relaxed, giving her a thumbs up to indicate he was ready. When she turned back, her eyes were filled with guilt. To begin with, Sam thought she might have lied. Then he realised what had really happened, and he shook his head.

‘Is it dangerous for you?’ Her hand rested on the side of his head, the other placing over his heart, and she stared up at Gabriel, before looking back down.

‘Sleep now, Sam.’

_He could feel someone going through his head. Memories flashed forwards, all sorts of things. His hunts, his time with his father, Jess… It was weird, like he was sitting in the passenger seat as all of these things flooded around him. The memories reached his time in the cage, Lucifer burning his skin, the breaking of bones, the choking, the… well. Less than nice scenes. He would have flushed, had he been awake, but instead they continued, pouring until he heard someone in his mind._

_‘How much do you wish to remember from the Cage?’ He thought about it, before he picked the answer._

_‘All of it. I just don’t want it to hurt as much.’ It was while the memories were being sorted that he thought about the fact he was shirtless on the bed, yet there were no cuts on his arm. He blinked, realising the Atarah must have healed them. If she had done so, she didn’t say it aloud._

_‘Sam, you’re going to see something now, but I promise you, he cannot hurt you.’ Sam felt like he had landed, opening his eyes to see himself standing in the cage. Lucifer was sitting against the wall, clutching his head as if it hurt. His eyes focused onto Sam, pure burning hatred, before he turned his gaze to the woman standing next to Sam._

_‘Atarah, you’ll pay for this.’ She ignored him, giving Sam a small smile. Taking his hands, she pressed her thumb against his inner wrists, tiny little marks appearing on them. He looked down, taking in the black ink swirls, in the pattern of a crown._

_‘These will keep you safe, Sam. Now stay back.’ She shoved him, but it was gentle. He watched her walk towards Lucifer, and the Devil laughed._

_‘Taking all the burden yourself, Atarah? Sam blinked, confused. What did he mean, she was taking the burden? Was she taking his control? He tried to step forward, but found himself rooted to the ground._

_‘This will be fun, betrothed. I do so love this new game.’ Atarah pushed her hand forward, reaching inside his body. Sam gasped, feeling the headaches that had been so common vanish entirely. It was like it had been before the Cage, and he loved the feeling. The only problem was the guilt that now seeped in, watching the woman stumble away, blood dripping from her nose._

_‘I’ll see you later, love.’ Lucifer blew her a kiss, before Sam felt his head go fuzzy, and he curled up onto the floor. His eyes flickered shut, and for the first time in ages, he fell into a peaceful sleep._

When he woke up, the first thing he noticed was the light outside. It had been getting dark when they had performed the spell, so it must be the morning. He was alone, so he grabbed a shirt and pulled it over his head, admiring the lack of scars on his arms. He felt fresh, brilliant, thoroughly regenerated. Although the thought of Atarah knowing exactly what Lucifer had done made his stomach curl slightly.

Gabriel was the first to spot him, bounding across like an excited puppy and basically jumping into his arms. Sam chuckled, catching the smaller man and hugging him, before pulling Dean in. He could have sworn there were tears in his brother’s eyes, not that he would ever admit it. Castiel hugged him, followed by Charlie, who was bouncing around happily. Atarah leant against the worksurface, looking amused by the entire scene, although he could see the slight crease across her forehead. Sam held up his wrists, the crown on each one still present.

‘It’ll keep Lucifer out. It’s my mark. I trump him.’ She explained briefly, before sliding coffee across. Sam took a careful sip, not wanting to tell her he was very precise about how he liked his drink. He almost choked in surprise when it tasted perfect, exactly as he would have prepared it. Atarah stood there smugly, raising her own drink to her lips.

‘I know everything about you, I’m pretty sure I can handle coffee.’ Sam thought about the sentence, but decided the girl wasn’t the worst person who could see inside your head.

‘What’s the inside of Sammy’s brain like? Full of weird nerd porn?’ Dean snickered at his joke, before Charlie hit his arm. Sam blushed, but mostly because of the Lucifer situation. Her eyes wandered across his face, before they settled to meet his gaze.

‘You shouldn’t worry, Sam. I’ve suffered by Lucifer’s hand as well.’ It didn’t make him feel better, he felt like the woman in front knew all his darkest secrets, where as he knew barely anything about her. Atarah sighed, looking slightly annoyed.

‘You look like a sad puppy. Here, a memory for your life.’ She stepped forward, a weird sort of purple mist forming around her hand. ‘You want to know a secret? Here’s one I haven’t shown anyone.’ Sam blinked as the mist descended around his head, and when he opened his eyes, they were no longer in the penthouse suite. In fact, he was pretty sure they weren’t even in America.

_It was hot, insanely so, and the sky was slightly dark. Like an orangey shade. The ground underneath was relatively bare, even though he was outside, very little was growing. A couple of dead trees, the burning heat of the sun, the baked soil. He was beginning to think she had sent him to the wrong place, when a sound caught his attention. He turned, following the echoing scream. The mountain was rocky, and there was a distinct smell of sulphur. A girl was chained to one of the rock faces, and when her head rose he recognised her. Atarah. She looked awful, blood smeared down her face, body split open, clothes torn to shreds. A set of wings, bright golden stretched out beyond her, against the rock face. They too were constrained, what appeared to be nails pinning them to the rock._

_A creature walked forwards. Even though he was not in the body that Sam knew, he was pretty sure the guy was Lucifer. The same confident walk, the same insane glint in his eye. Sam went to move forwards, but yet again was stopped by something. He watched in horror as the wings were severed, the girl screaming as they dropped, kicked into the dirt by the man in front._

_‘You said no to our union, Atarah. Now you will say yes.’ He did the same to the other wing, leaving the girl mostly unconscious. Her eyes flickered momentarily as he ran the knife along her skin, stripping what was left on her body. His hands moved to the belt, and the same Lucifer-chuckle rung out across the silence._

_‘You’ll be mine, forever.’ Sam didn’t really see anything, Lucifer was blocking the sight, but he got the idea. The screaming girl, the happy grunts coming from the man who was moving his hips sharply. When he cried out, the mountain behind seemed to grumble, and to Sam’s horror the air suddenly grew warmer. His eyes focused on the lava that was now heading down the side, huge ash clouds billowing out from the top. The sound was deafening, blocking the screams of the girl that Lucifer walked away from, vanishing into thin air. The girl remained chained to the rock, blood dripping from her, wings kicked into the dirt. The lava slid down the mountainside, approaching her steadily like a predator._

_‘I’m going to KILL YOU LUCIFER. YOU WILL BURN IN HELL WHEN I’M DONE WITH YOU!’ The girl looked up, watching as the heat approached, before looking straight ahead. Sam shook his head, squeezing his eyes tightly shut as he prayed to not watch this._


	6. Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam spills the beans. Dean does some Emotional Things

Gabriel watched as Sam jerked away from her, almost spilling the coffee. He slammed the mug onto the side, eyes widening in horror as he moved towards her. Atarah stood quite still as he manhandled her, shoving her so her stomach pressed against the side. Disregarding his brother shouting, he lifted the shirt up her back, eyes focusing on the two jagged scars. I looked across to Castiel, who looked equally horrified.

‘I felt it.’ He mumbled, looking up at her when she turned around. The girl sighed, hopping back onto the counter and pulling Sam’s head against her chest, like she had done to Gabriel when they were little.

‘You’re okay.’ She murmured softly, stroking hair out of his eyes. Her eyes found Gabriel’s gaze, and he got the hint.

‘Come on Sammoose, it’s time for some breakfast.’ Gabriel took the Moose’s hand, leading him towards the door with a glance back to Atarah. Her slight smile told him he was doing the right thing, even if Moose stayed quiet for the entire journey to the diner.

Gabriel ordered for them, waiting for Sam to say something. The hunter looked confused, tracing the ink on his inner wrists. The marks were something Gabriel had seen before, when she had first found out she had the ability to imprint it had been something she had shown Gabriel.

‘She saw everything.’ He mumbled, finally looking up to Gabriel. The Archangel’s heart almost stopped, the amount of pain in his voice was unbelievable. He moved forward, taking Sam’s hands into his own, linking their fingers together. The Hunter didn’t pull away, just stared, while Gabriel thought about the best thing to say.

‘Whatever it is, she isn’t going to judge you. Nobody will, Sam. It wasn’t your fault.’ He squeezed the man’s hands, enjoying the feel of the skin against his. Sam rose his head, eyes studying Gabriel’s, and the Archangel had to stop himself from leaning across to kiss him. He looked so perfect, the way he sat there, but he knew now wasn’t the time.

‘You will. You won’t want this…’ He gestured to their joined hands, and Gabriel could have laughed. Like anything Lucifer’s torture did to the boy would make him want him less. He was stunning, tall, and in Father’s name was he cute. His Moose, his Hunter, or at least he wanted him to be. Gabriel just had to wait for the right time, for his Moose to come to him.

‘I will always want this. Nothing that dick did could change that.’ He hoped the words were reassuring, but instead he saw anger flash across them. Sam tucked into his food, Gabriel doing the same, although he could tell the man didn’t believe him. He waited until they were finished to bring it up.

‘I’m telling the truth, Sammich. I’ll always want you, no matter what.’ Sam blinked, looking across to where Gabriel was still sitting, patiently waiting. He hoped Sam trusted him enough to say what was on his mind, that would be the big step. The Hunter looked down at his hands, shaking his head softly. He mumbled something, and when Gabriel asked him to repeat it, the boy’s head shot up. The glare on his face could certainly kill, it was enough to make Gabriel flinch.

‘I said Lucifer raped me. Countless times. And Michael.’ His fist hit the table, and the Hunter stood, ignoring Gabriel’s shocked expression.

‘I’m going for a walk.’ Gabriel sat there, so much anger bubbling inside him that he didn’t quite know how to comprehend it. He would go to the Cage himself to kill Lucifer and Michael. Rip them limb from limb. He paid for the meal, running after his Moose as fast as his small legs would take him. When he finally caught up with the large man, he noted the surprise.

‘You are not mad?’ He mumbled, tears filling those entrancing eyes. Gabriel shook his head, pulling Sam in to hug him. The archangel was not mad, nor could he ever be. The only thing he thought about in that minute was how he would do everything in his power to make Moose happy again.

 

Dean had watched his brother leave, and couldn’t hide the smile on his face. Sam was better. Maybe not perfect, but he was better. He found himself alone in the kitchen with Atarah, unsure of how to thank her for what she had done. As if she had sensed his presence, the woman turned, studying him curiously. She would have been his type, had he not been so utterly devoted to Castiel. But instead, he found the thought of a friendship with the woman an appealing offer.

‘I don’t even know how to start thanking you.’ The woman smiled, offering him a bottle of beer, which he accepted happily. She looked past him, to Cas, who was sitting next to Charlie on the couch.

‘I believe the only thanks I will need is a promise not to break his heart.’ Dean flushed red, wondering how obvious it had been to everyone that the two were now dating. It had been discussed between them late last night, while Sam was sleeping. Castiel had admitted feelings, and while Dean wondered how to make his mouth move, Castiel had pressed his lips against him. It had been agreed they would take things slowly, considering Dean was unsure how his brother would take the news.

‘I would never hurt him on purpose.’ Dean stated, knowing in his heart that the words were true. He glanced to his Angel, enjoying the sight of the smile gracing his face.  He always looked so cute, even if Dean would never admit it.

‘I know. If you are worried about telling Sam, you should be aware he knows.’ Dean opened his mouth to speak, shocked, but no words came out. Atarah laughed, head tipping back slightly to allow black curls to fall. Dean noted that when she did, Charlie rose her head and looked across to the woman, before quickly busying herself with her laptop.

‘Sam is happy for you, Dean. He just wishes you’d accept happiness when it’s offered.’ She looked thoughtful, but the moment was interrupted when the door opened, and Sam walked in. Gabriel had a face like murder, but tried to smile when he saw the others. Dean stepped out of the kitchen, smiling to Sam who walked past, giving him one in return. He watched Gabriel sink into the sofa beside Castiel, nudging his shoulder against him, before Charlie kicked her feet over his lap. Whatever was wrong with Gabriel, Castiel would find out later and probably tell him.

It turns out he didn’t need to, because just as he was leaving he heard the conversation in the kitchen behind him,

‘I told Gabriel what happened. Angrily.’ Sam’s voice was the same one that Dean had heard so many times, the equal mixture of guilty and sad.

‘Good. Maybe now you will realise they will not judge you, even Dean.’

‘He’d think less of me.’ Sam snapped back, and Dean’s heart almost broke.  He knew he had raised Sammy not to be emotional, to keep the Chick-Flick moments to a minimum, but he really did want to help his brother. There was something that kept Sam up at night, that made him flinch when Dean was around, that stopped him from accepting praise. Dean was determined to fix it, even if he was slightly annoyed that Gabriel had been told before him. Then again, it was pretty obvious that Gabriel was flirting with his brother.

‘No, Sam. The only person with negative thoughts is you. I know you think you deserved it, just like I know you thought you deserved the cuts I healed on your arms.’ Dean froze, eyes widening. He moved away from the kitchen sharply, not wanting to hear anymore of the conversation. The thought that his own brother had harmed himself… Dean found anger inside him, at himself for not noticing, and it wasn’t until Cas found him curled up on the bedroom floor that he finally cried, clutching the Angel tightly. Lips pressed against his forehead, before Dean tilted his head hungrily and captured them on his own. The feeling was euphoric, wiping away anything just said in the kitchen, and all he could think about was how good his boyfriend tasted, how perfectly they fit together.

‘Not like this, Dean.’ Castiel murmured, pulling away to press a kiss to his cheek. He already knew, of course, what was the matter. Cas had always been good at reading him, and now was no exception. The Angel kissed him once more, holding out his hand to pull him up.

‘Your brother will tell you when he is ready. For now, let’s set up the final couple. Gabriel had agreed, and has convinced Sam to help as well.’ The thought of setting up the girl that was like his sister with some powerful chick who had the ability to beat Lucifer made him chuckle, but hey, Dean knew he should be used to weird by now.


	7. Leviathans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plan is formed, and we see our Cage friends

Atarah knew there was going to be an issue. Life couldn’t just be simple. Charlie had erased the file, she hadn’t even looked at it, and Atarah figured it was almost time for her to leave. The group were happy, they didn’t need her anymore. Until she came out of the kitchen to see Crowley standing in the living room, looking less than happy.

‘You look like crap.’ She joked, wondering why he would be here at 3am in the morning. He didn’t smile, which was a bad sign. Crowley might as well have been the King of Sarcasm, his humour literally knew no bounds.

‘Leviathan.’ Her heart stuttered momentarily, and she shook her head. Nope, no way were those freaky things out of purgatory. Crowley gave a nod, only one, and she knew they were screwed.

‘What happened?’

‘Well, you know how killing Raphael meant Castiel stole some souls? We all thought it went fine, souls returned, no issue? There was a crack, it’s been sealed, but they are out. About fifty.’ Leviathan beat Angel, even Arch-angel. This was not good.

‘We can sort it.’ Atarah had a plan, one that really was quite dangerous, but it could work. And if Leviathan’s were out, desperate measures were needed. She waited until everyone got up, about 9am, before telling them. The look on Castiel’s face was one of utter disgrace, the one on Gabriel’s was fear. He had heard of the stories, although he had been too young to ever meet one of them. The Hunters remained calm, as did Charlie, throughout the story. Crowley leant against the wall, waiting for Atarah to commit to a plan.

‘You’re telling us that an Archangel can’t beat a Leviathan? And there’s fifty of the bastards?’ Dean snarled, taking Castiel’s hand to comfort him. Atarah smiled slightly, the hunter really was the kind of man good enough for an Angel. Gabriel was staring up at her, as if he already knew what she was thinking.

‘You’ve seen them before?’ He questioned, and Atarah gave a nod.

‘I helped seal them in Purgatory.’ Along with God, and the three Archangels.

‘So you can do it again?’ It was true, she could. But she would a lot of help, she wasn’t that powerful, not without…

‘I’m going to need help. A lot of it. And a plan you’re not going to like.’ They all waited for her to explain, but Gabriel seemed to understand.

‘You’ll tether them?’ He asked, and she gave him a swift nod. It was the plan, even if it were a bad one. Gabriel looked concerned, but he knew the damage the Leviathan could do if they were allowed to roam freely.

‘What’s the plan?’ Charlie asked, looking between all of the group for answers. Atarah sat down slowly, sinking back into the couch, drumming her fingertips across her knees.

‘We’re going to tether two Archangels to me, so I control their Grace, and then we’re going to let them out of the Cage. Then they’re going to help me track them, hunt them, and shove them back through the gates of Purgatory. Then I’m going to send them both back to the Cage.’ Sam looked horrified, but Gabriel held his hand and murmured something in his ear that led him to relax. Castiel looked worried, but he glanced to his brother for support, and Atarah knew that she could rely on their support.

‘I can control how much Grace Michael and Lucifer have, they won’t be able to hurt any of you. I need three Archangels, I don’t have a choice.’ Atarah wondered how she could supplement the power of God himself, but hoped that she had learnt enough to do this. She had help, the King of Hell owed her eight favours, and she had an Angel as well. Two Hunters, who seemed to have a habit of being able to best everyone in sight.

‘Can you open the Cage?’ Gabriel asked, looking curious. Of course, it was something that nobody would have considered. Atarah didn’t mention the fact that she had helped create the thing, so therefore she had direct access on how to control it.

‘I will bring them here, talk to them, then we can sort this out.’ Atarah watched the people listen, gathering themselves and preparing. The Angels drew the symbols on the floor, before walking to the back of the large suite, joining the group of humans and the King of Hell, who appeared conflicted on whether to stay or not. Atarah nervously drummed her foot on the floor. It had been a while since she had seen Michael, and they may or may not be about to cause more issues than there were before.

She stepped forwards, careful not to walk into the trap, splitting her palm open and muttering the Enochian words to summon the creatures. She felt the Grace hit her body, felt it being caged inside of her. She had been made by God with the ability to harbour all four of the Archangel’s Grace, so this was nothing near her limit. Although these two were the most powerful. Lucifer was the first to appear, in the form of the human he had taken, Nick. Michael appeared next, sporting an older looking human, apparently the half-brother of the Winchesters was not strong enough to survive the cage.

‘Hello, little bird.’ Lucifer said with a smirk, waving at her. Atarah ignored him, eyes sliding across to Michael, who looked shocked.

‘You’re alive?’ He asked, stepping forwards. Lucifer looked surprised by the amount of emotion that his brother spoke with, looking angrily between the two. Atarah knew this could be an issue if she wasn’t careful, so she made sure to stay out of the trap.

‘Obviously.’ She remarked, feeling the cold exterior close around her in Lucifer’s presence.

‘I’m so sorry, Atarah. I never meant to make it awkward between you and Lucifer.’ By father, please stop talking, Atarah thought. Lucifer’s head snapped to his brother, who now looked even more confused

‘What?’ Atarah knew the Devil did not like being in the dark, not on any amount of information. Michael, ever the idiot, didn’t know how to shut his mouth.

‘I told Atarah of my love for her once your betrothal was announced, she fled to prevent civil war.’ The amount of good that had done, she thought miserably, watching as Lucifer rounded on Michael.

‘Couldn’t keep your hands to yourself, Michael? That was my bride!’ He snapped, lunging for his twin. Atarah genuinely couldn’t think of a good reason to intervene, until she remembered that there were Leviathan running around outside. She stepped inside the trap, using Grace to fling the two to opposite sides of the trap. They both glared at her, but neither spoke.

‘Listen here you douchebags, I’m going to make this simple. We need your help shoving Leviathan back into purgatory, you’re going to help, then I’m sending both your asses back to the Cage!’ Lucifer was the one to speak, always had to have the attention of the room.

‘Why would we help you?’ His smirk fell slightly when she tugged on more of his Grace, basically making him human. It suited him, she thought, a fitting punishment for the man that ruined her life.

‘One, you don’t have any Grace unless I say so. Two, it’s a trip out of the Cage. And three, if the Leviathan are here, then the Cage can be destroyed. They are no great lovers of Hell.’ Atarah paused, thinking about her next sentence, before adding on, ‘Plus you have people on Earth that you both care for.’ Lucifer snorted, until Gabriel stepped out from behind Sam.

Both archangels stared at their brother, eyes widening considerably at the sight.

‘You were dead.’ Lucifer bluntly stated, and Gabriel shrugged.

‘I have no idea, I guess someone had other plans.’ Atarah didn’t mention the fact that it had been her, she didn’t need to, Lucifer had already guessed. He didn’t say it aloud, but she knew he was thinking it.

‘Fine. I’m in.’ Michael stated, and she shoved him from the trap, watching as he embraced Gabriel. The younger archangel tensed, not hugging back, but stepped away. Michael’s gaze flickered to Sam, before he looked guilty.

‘I’m sorry.’ He mumbled, and Sam gave a nod, looking to Atarah for help. She knew what Michael had done, under the influence of Lucifer and his Grace. Gabriel appeared to know as well, but it didn’t stop him from looked pissed. Lucifer chuckled, causing Atarah to turn back to him.

‘I agree also.’

‘Not quite. There are extra rules for you, Lucifer.’ Atarah wasn’t stupid, she knew that the archangel would do everything in his power not to go back in the Cage, or to make everyone else’s life torture while he was out. Lucifer raised an eyebrow, but didn’t speak, waiting for her to state the terms.

‘You don’t speak, look at, or go anywhere near Sam. I mean it.’  She snarled the last part, and when Lucifer began to chuckle, she clenched her fist. The archangel fell to the floor, clutching at his neck in pain. It felt good, too good, to watch him struggle. She released the fist, watching the Devil raise his head.

‘I agree to those terms as well.’


	8. Night Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping arrangements.

Gabriel did not like this. Not one bit. He held Sam close, keeping him as far away from his brothers as possible. Dean and Cassie did the same thing, acting as a buffer between them. If it kept the Moose safe then Gabriel would do anything. It was now the evening, after a day spent entirely of planning to take Leviathan down. All of us had noticed how Lucifer was teasing Atarah, and how she completely ignored him. Every time he made a comment to her, Sam would tense up angrily, as if he wanted to defend her. Gabriel knew it wasn’t wise, so kept Sam close.

They were eating dinner. With the two archangels basically human, they required food to keep them going. And sleep, which was going to turn into an issue with the five bedroomed suite. Atarah had a plan, he knew that, so he kept quiet.

‘So, betrothed, as much as I love seeing all of these people, I really must ask about sleeping arrangements.’ Lucifer was trying to suggest something, and Gabriel could have punched him. In fact, he might do so anyway.

‘Dean and Cas will take one room, Sam and Gabriel the second, Charlie can stay in the single if that’s okay?’ She turned to each of the group, and Gabriel looked to Sam. He gave a small nod, and Gabriel couldn’t have been happier. His Moose was happy sleeping next to him! He turned to his brother, Cassie, who was obviously more than happy sharing a bed with Dean. Gabriel screwed his face up, not wanting to think about that. He was glad the rooms were soundproofed.

‘Letting my brother’s dally with mortals?’ Lucifer sneered, resulting in him being thrown half way across the room. Atarah hadn’t even lifted a hand. She turned to Michael, studying the archangel, and Gabriel wondered if Michael truly did love her. He had never seen his brother act this way, it was quite strange.

‘You can take the fourth room. Don’t think about running.’ Michael bowed his head slightly, confirming Gabriel’s suspicion that he was still in love with Atarah. Lucifer came limping back, glaring at the woman as he sat down. Sam didn’t tense up as much this time, but still enough for Gabriel to squeeze his hand.

‘You’re in the fifth room, Lucifer.’

‘Leaving me unsupervised, my how you must trust me.’ He rolled his eyes, before Gabriel realised what she was going to say.

‘No, Lucifer, I don’t trust you. You’ll be in the fifth room with me.’ Gabriel could tell his brother was plotting, but he had no reason not to trust Atarah. Especially seeing as she was partially bonded with Sam, he would know if anything bad happened to her. Dean and Cas were the first to leave, followed by Michael, then Charlie who hugged Sam goodnight. Sam eventually stood, to Gabriel’s delight taking his hand, and together they walked to their room, leaving Lucifer and Atarah alone. The door shut, and Sam turned to him.

‘Do you think she will be okay?’ Gabriel smiled softly, Sam looked cute when concerned.

‘She’ll be fine, Sammich.’ Sam grabbed his stuff and headed to the shower, leaving Gabriel to sit back on the bed. He had taken a shower this morning, so stripped down and put on sweatpants and a loose shirt, thankful the bed was quite large. Although his Moose was beginning to trust him, he didn’t want to push it. Sam came out after 10 minutes, and Gabriel really did try to avert his eyes. Wearing just sweatpants, the Moose looked damn good, Gabriel awkwardly peeled his gaze from the muscle and looked to the wall.

Sam chuckled as he grabbed a shirt, pulling it over his head and sliding under the sheets. They kept relative distance between them, before Gabriel spoke,

‘I’m sorry about Lucifer being here.’ He meant it, he didn’t know how the human was still functioning. Sam turned to face him, a sad expression on that handsome face.

‘Gabe, it isn’t your fault. And anyway, he killed you, it can’t be easy for you to see him.’ Moose was always so concerned about anyone but himself! It was frustrating, how little the hunter actually cared for himself. Gabriel booped his nose lazily, rolling onto his back and staring up at the ceiling. Sam’s laughter warmed his heart, and he couldn’t help but want him to make that sound again.

A large thump against the wall made the two look at each other, more than aware that it was coming from Dean and Cas’s room. Gabriel chuckled as Sam buried his head into the pillow, softly whining about how he never needed to hear that again. Gabriel, despite being an archangel, found himself tired. Of course, his Grace was relatively depleted, so he would need rest.

He woke up with his head against a nice pillow, snuggling against it in a sleepy haze. The pillow shifted, before an arm wrapped around Gabriel and held him tighter. It was then that he remembered he was in a bed next to his Moose. Well, no longer next to, more sprawled out on top of the giant. His eyes widened, wondering what the best way to extract himself from this situation without waking the Moose was. In the end, he decided he should probably wait a couple of minutes, just to make sure the Moose was definitely asleep.

Sam shifted slightly, and with him so did Gabriel, whose head was pressed into the crook of the hunters neck. He smelt good, really good, and Gabriel tried to ignore all the inappropriate thoughts flooding into his head. He felt Sam tense slightly, his breathing quicken, before the Hunter opened his eyes. Gabriel pretended to be asleep, eyes firmly shut, waiting for Sam to make the first move.

The soft vibration of Sam’s chest told him he was laughing, before he felt the Hunter run a hand down his back, tracing small circles against the dip. The other brushed aside the hair covering his face, and Gabriel knew he really did have to wake up now. Like right now. He flickered his eyes open, taking advantage of the situation to stretch his body out like a cat’s, right across the Hunter. He could have sworn he heard a groan, but it was quickly muffled, and the archangel rolled off the man and onto the sheets next to him. He turned, taking Sam’s arm with him, so they were spooning.

‘Only 4am. Shush.’ He muttered, quite content to be the little spoon. The hunter chuckled, nuzzling the back of the Angels head affectionately, and Gabriel figured he would enjoy sleepy Sam. His eyes shut, and he once again allowed sleep to take over his mind.

The next time he woke, they were facing each other, pretty close as well. Gabriel opened his eyes just as Sam did, the two looking up at each other curiously.

‘It’s breakfast time.’ Gabriel murmured, figuring that Sam would quickly return to the serious stern hunter rather than the sleepy, dopey Moose who he had seen last night. Which was why Gabriel was so surprised when the hunter leaned forwards, lips hitting his own. He would have complained about morning breath, except Sam tasted delicious, and he really didn’t want to let go. He happily pulled the Hunter on top, enjoying the way Sam’s muscles bulged as he held himself over the Angel. Gabriel continued to enjoy the kissing, roaming his hands lightly up the front of the Moose’s shirt, wondering how far he could push his luck. Turned out this was about Sam’s limit, because Gabriel felt the Hunter tense slightly, and although he tried to hide it, Gabriel could tell that there was fear. He pulled back from the kiss, brushing aside the long hair, grinning happily.

‘Come on Samshine, breakfast.’ Sam laughed as he rolled off, the two heading towards the door. Gabriel followed his hunter, knowing he would be more than happy to continue this forever.


	9. Wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to get some Wings

Atarah knew she was being Unloyal. No, untrustworthy, but in the end it would save all of them. She glanced to Lucifer, even he was unsure of her plan. It could kill her, in fact it probably would. But what was the point in living in a world that was broken, if you could have done something to fix it? She waited until everyone had eaten breakfast, before stating that she would grant enough Grace to the archangels for them to travel. It was decided between her, Lucifer and Michael there first location. Gabriel would need slightly more Grace, when she had pulled him from death she had not been able to give him much. He would need more if he were to make the journey, even if the method was slightly unconventional.

‘Gabriel…’ She trailed off, watching the Angel turn to Sam, murmuring something softly in his ear. Sam nodded, and Gabriel walked across.

‘This is weird.’ Gabriel spoke, voice filled with amusement. She snorted, leaning in to brush her lips ever so gently against his. It was the faintest of touches, just enough for him to absorb the Grace. He grinned, thanking her as he clicked his fingers, the scene around them shifting. It changed to a large lake, with trees lining the edge of the bank, before he clicked his fingers again and it shifted back. He seemed happy with his new Grace, returning back to Sam’s side. The Hunter gave her a small smile, and she hoped he would be okay once she left him. Gabriel would look after him, she was sure.  Michael stepped forwards, eyes scanning her, before Atarah did the exact same. Michael was not given a lot, but it was enough to transport him and Charlie, which had been agreed. Gabriel would take Sam and Dean, and Castiel would transport Crowley, who had arrived to help.

‘Do I get some, Little Bird?’ Lucifer asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively, to which she flipped him off. He already knew the answer, this had been discussed many times between the two.

‘Ready?’ She asked, showing them the photograph that would allow them to teleport. Nobody questioned the fact that it looked like a normal forest. One by one they vanished, until she turned to Lucifer, taking his hand as she teleported.

Vegetation crunched under her feet, but Atarah didn’t stumble as she landed. Her gaze turned to the others, all of whom had managed the journey, looking around the area with confusion. There seemed to be very little here.

‘You said there was a weapon here?’ Crowley said with a snort, brushing a leaf of his suit. Sam moved away from Gabriel, coming closer towards Atarah, and by her side, Lucifer. The Devil obeyed his end of the bargain, not speaking to the approaching boy, although she felt his curiosity.

‘I’ve been here.’ Sam said, looking up to Atarah. She nodded, brushing the side of his temple so he could see what she could. The slight glow, the hum of the Grace. The Hunter grinned, before stalking off into the undergrowth. Atarah chuckled, following after him, Lucifer complaining about her showing him the vision. The others followed, complaining about the weather, the climate, the vegetation. It wasn’t until they reached the base of the mountain that they all stopped.

‘Erm, a volcano?’ Dean asked, looking confused. Sam was staring at the rocks, and Atarah shot Dean a look.

‘Will you do it?’ She asked Lucifer, who mock bowed in her direction, hand over his heart. He moved forwards, careful to keep out of the way of Sam, who looked across to him when he approached. Sam backed off, walking back to Gabriel’s side, while the Devil prodded different rocks.

‘This one.’ She nodded, shoving him out of the way with Grace, before placing her hand onto the rocks. They started to shift under her touch, before the entire face started to crumble. Lucifer moved back, avoiding the fallen rocks, until a hollow hole formed in the mountain face. When the dust settled, there were several gasps from behind Atarah. She was staring at the golden wings, still as perfect as the day she had lost them. They had been embedded by the lava, but could not be burnt, so their shape was the original. Her eyes widened, hope flooding through her chest. She could never free them, it wasn’t allowed, she needed someone with wings to do so. Lucifer hoped it would be him, but she could never allow him close to them again.

‘Gabriel… would you mind?’ She didn’t turn to him, but kept her eyes focused on the golden wings. Gabriel moved forwards, past her, and into the cave. His hands touched the wings, and she felt the burst of Grace as he freed them. It was hard, an Angel that lost his wings would normally never get them back. Gabriel stared at the severed wings, before turning back to Atarah. It had been so long, when her fingers finally touched them, she felt whole. The wings dissolved under her touch, golden feathers bursting into flames, before the itching sensation on her back started. Ignoring the pain, she did the same to both wings, leaving ash on the floor. The wings reformed, a lot like a Phoenix, on her back. Golden wings, stretching out under sunlight for the first time in a long while. She only had one set, unlike archangels, but it didn’t make her any less powerful. With her wings back, she knew that she could take down these Leviathans.

‘Pretty.’ Lucifer said with a snort, reaching to touch them. She didn’t really comprehend him, instead threw him back with such force that he hit one of the trees and it cracked under his weight. It was lucky he had enough Grace to survive the hit, but she didn’t regret it.

‘Got it, Little Bird. No touching.’ It was the greatest form of trust, Lucifer was not somebody she trusted. She heard the steps behind her, but already knew who it was due to the bond. Sam reached out curiously, threading fingers into the golden feathers, eyes alight with curiosity. He could obviously feel the strength of them, through the connection, and was testing out the theory. Gabriel stood close to Atarah’s side, and she knew he was equally as curious. She batted him playfully with one, enjoying the smirk that crossed his face as he accepted her trust.

‘Now we get to hunt Leviathan.’

They had set up base in a house in Maine, waiting to see what the move of the Leviathan would be. Lucifer and Michael had the job of restraining the creatures, getting all of them in the right place to be transported back to Purgatory. Gabriel had the job of changing the scenery, playing the trickster. The two Hunters were responsible for protecting the Trickster while he worked, while Crowley had the job of aiding the twins set up the traps. Charlie was currently hacked into most systems, running through different algorithms to pick up the Leviathan activity.

‘We don’t have a weapon that can kill them. That seems stupid.’

‘We aren’t trying to kill them, we’re going to send them back.’ Atarah stated to Dean, who was snuggled on the couch next to Castiel. Chinese was being passed around, and when it got to Sam, he scooped out rice before hesitantly passing it across to Lucifer. He murmured a thank you, before Gabriel’s glare caused him to look the other way. Charlie smiled up at Atarah as she plated up some food for her.

‘If we’re going to die, I’m going out partying.’ Dean stated, clapping his hand onto Castiel’s thigh. The Angel chuckled, before Gabriel stood as well.

‘I’m always down for a party.’ Dean fist-bumped him, looking around to the rest of the group. Sam stood up slowly, looking across to Castiel.

‘We should keep them in check.’ Castiel also stood, nodding in agreement, before their gaze turned to Charlie. She laughed, putting down the laptop and bouncing to her feet.

‘We better be going somewhere with hot chicks.’ Dean snorted, high-fiving her for the statement, before being whacked on the arm by Castiel. Atarah looked across to Michael, giving him the slightest nod as he stood.

‘I would also like to come.’ Gabriel and Castiel nodded, smiling slightly. They had been in the base for six days, and they had got used to their eldest brother. Crowley leaned back in the chair, before slowly standing up.

‘I heard there would be women.’ The group laughed, before they turned their gaze to Lucifer. Atarah looked across to him, before he nodded his head slightly.

‘My babysitter is going, so I suppose I will join.’ It was no longer tense, and although nobody liked Lucifer, they were okay with him going.

‘Let’s go.’


	10. Strip Bars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A night out ends badly

Gabriel had never had so much fun in all of his very long life. He had finally stopped dancing on tables of the strip-club, Sam unable to hold back the laughter, before they had curled up together in one of the booths. It was large, seating Dean and Cas on one side, and the two Archangels on the other. Charlie was seated on the lonely seat, Crowley had already disappeared to flirt with someone.

‘Just go and speak to her.’ Gabriel stated, nudging the girl with his foot. Charlie shot him a glare, but her gaze did wander across to Atarah, who was dancing with some random guy. Once the song had ended she came skipping across, Charlie looking away awkwardly as if she were embarrassed by her feelings. Gabriel eyed up Atarah, wondering if she was clueless, or whether she just wasn’t interested. Perhaps she didn’t like women in that way.

‘I feel like these pole-dancers are crap.’ Gabriel commented, Sam laughing with amusement. It was true, they genuinely were. This club was relatively friendly, anyone could go up and dance on stage, but most of them were piss poor at it.

‘Like you could do better.’ Dean said with a laugh, before he looked worried. Gabriel grinned, knowing Dean regretted stating that.

‘I so could.’ Sam snorted with laughter, swigging the beer he had in front, shaking his head.

‘No, Gabe, it’s a bad idea.’ He knew Sam wasn’t actually going to be mad if he ignored him, so he carefully shuffled from the booth, winking at Dean who groaned in frustration. Atarah laughed, tipping her head back with amusement.

‘Gabriel, like you could beat me.’ She winked, grabbing his hand and tugging him towards the stage. He decided he definitely liked her, they were going to be great friends. She chose the song, not warning Gabriel as to what it was, before she led him up onto the stage. One thing Gabriel knew about her was just how dangerous she was in these moods, especially when she sniggered and pointed to him.

Gabriel laughed when he saw what she had changed his clothing to, it certainly made him do a double take. She winked, taking the nearest pole, while he walked across to his. He was so taking her down, whether she liked it or not. When he heard the song start to play, he scoffed. Angel, by Massive Attack. Cute, she was thinking slow and emotional, he could play with that.

Half-way through his routine, he remembered that his boyfriend was watching this, and his brothers. He was currently upside-down, one leg wrapped around while he glanced across to Atarah, who was amusingly doing the same. It was as if they could understand each other, and he smirked as she climbed higher, wrapping the scarf that she had been wearing around her ankle to the pole, shooting him a wink before she dropped as the beat picked up. She seemed to flex every muscle in time, and he was quite happy to meet her stride for stride. He was aware that quite a lot of money was being chucked onto the stage, but he managed to ignore it in favour of bending his body in time with the music. It was then that he remembered when he had first done this. Atarah had been the one showing him, saying it would help him balance his wings, learn how they moved with him. The song came to an end, she slid gracefully from the pole, heels hitting the floor as she reached for his hand.  He accepted, enjoying the way his muscles gently ached from the act.

‘Not bad, Little Dancer.’ She looked sad, smiling up at him as if it was painful for her to see the way he had grown. He didn’t think much of it, especially when his boyfriend pulled him back into the booth, glaring at him.

‘Someone got a little bothered, huh?’ He murmured against his Hunter’s ear, enjoying the shudder. Atarah was looking to Lucifer, before she leant down and whispered something in his ear. He nodded, looking slightly apprehensive, before Atarah turned back to Gabriel.

‘They’re on your watch tonight.’ Was all she said before she leant down, pressing a hand to Charlie’s shoulder and the two vanished. Lucifer rose from the chair, earning glares from Gabriel, Castiel and Dean.

‘I’m going for a drink. Then to talk to a girl or two. Sue me.’ He snapped, and Gabriel could have sworn his brother looked hurt. Gabriel didn’t want to forgive his brother, he never could, but it surprised him when Sam placed a hand upon his arm.

‘Let him go, Gabe.’ Lucifer stalked off, Michael having already found a woman to chat up, leaving the two couples alone. Gabriel was about to smother his boyfriend in kisses, when the Hunter moved from the booth. He laughed as Gabriel whined, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

‘I’ll be back in a minute.’ He promised, and Gabriel rolled his eyes, watching the Hunter walk off. He turned to his brother and Dean, looking at their concerned expressions.

‘Do you think he’s okay?’

‘I’m sure he would tell you if he wasn’t. Sam’s healing.’ Gabriel said, before he choked on his drink. Castiel looked concerned, but Dean had already followed his line of sight. Castiel caught on quickly, and the three looked across to the bar.

 

Sam slid onto the stool next to Lucifer, not making eye contact with him as he asked for a double-shot of whiskey. The barmaid grinned, sliding the drink across quickly, before leaving the two of them.

‘What’s she going to do?’ Sam asked, twirling the drink between his fingers. Lucifer was surprised the boy had come across, but he could feel the curiosity of him. The Devil leaned back in the chair, remembering the times in the Cage. He wondered if he should feel guilty for what he had done.

‘Brave, aren’t you?’ Was all he said, knowing he couldn’t hurt him. In fact, he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to. As much fun as it was torturing Sammy, Lucifer needed this chance to prove to Atarah that he could behave.

‘Not brave, I just don’t have a lot left to lose.’ The words had their double meaning, of course, and Lucifer smiled slyly. The boy didn’t flinch, instead drained the drink.

‘I know she’s planning something, and I know you’re in on it.’ The bond was working slightly better than anticipated, but it wouldn’t matter. He couldn’t find out what she was planning to do, nor could he find out Lucifer’s true intentions.

‘Don’t strain yourself thinking too much, Sammy.’ The name did make him flinch, and the Devil enjoyed the slight power flex. He may not have his Angel Grace, but torture made Sam Winchester his bitch.

‘Shut up.’ He snapped impatiently, and Lucifer was tempted to reach out and touch the boy’s shoulder, just to see what would happen.

‘Careful now, Gabriel’s watching. Wouldn’t want him to see what we could do.’ It was a low blow, so Lucifer wasn’t surprised when the boy grabbed the back of his head and slammed it into the bar. It hurt like hell, and he heard the boy storm off. The barmaid appeared, but Lucifer held a hand up.

‘My fault, don’t worry.’ He wiped blood from his nose, admiring the dark red, wondering how long he could keep this up. He was good, but eventually he’d be stuck back in the Cage without his plaything. Feeling Gabriel’s Grace from across the room, Lucifer headed across towards Michael, who looked annoyed.

‘I need a lift home.’

‘What did you do?’ His brother asked, before his gaze slid past to the pulsating Grace of Gabriel.

‘I’m guessing Sam did that to your face?’ He questioned, before Lucifer nodded. Michael smirked, walking across to the table with the rabble on, before walking back.

‘Come on, your going home.’ It wasn’t home, but Lucifer didn’t point that out, feeling the air rush around them as they left the bar behind.

 

‘Sam what the hell?!’ His brother shouting made him tense, but Sam didn’t answer the question, drinking the beer Castiel had handed him. He knew something was wrong with Atarah, and he knew that stupid dick-bag knew as well.

‘Forget it Dean.’ He said, hearing the tiredness in his voice. It was the comment about what Gabriel would see, and the use of the name Sammy that had set him off. That nickname was usually reserved for the times when Lucifer would… He trailed off on the thought, trying to shove it from his mind. This was stupid, he needed to get over himself.

‘What did he say?’ Gabriel demanded, just as angry as Dean. Castiel was the only one who hadn’t spoke, a slight sympathetic look in his eyes, as if he knew that Sam didn’t want to talk about it. He remembered the time when Lucifer had called him his bitch, and he had never known how true it was until today. He wondered how Atarah could handle seeing Lucifer, knowing what he had done to her.

‘Nothing bad, I just lost my temper.’

‘You had ever right, Sammy he tortured you!’ Dean exclaimed, but the name caused Sam to tense.

‘Don’t call me that.’ The thought of it, hell Sam could feel his mind becoming clouded. He knew Atarah had helped as much as she could, but she couldn’t heal everything. He could call for her, but he really did want her and Charlie to have a shot.

‘Sammy, you okay?’ Dammit Dean, why did he never listen! Sam’s head was starting to spin, and Gabriel didn’t hesitate teleporting them all back to the house. Michael appeared in the doorway at the sound, peering around to meet Sam’s eye, understanding what was happening. They hadn’t talked about it, but Lucifer had been pretty harsh to Michael as well. He was used to it, he had told Sam one day while Lucifer was away, but Sam wasn’t.

‘Sam!’ Gabriel was shaking his shoulders, but he couldn’t hear him properly anymore. The words were ringing in his head, the world slightly blurry, although he noticed Lucifer appear to stand beside Michael. Dean turned to him, and Sam saw Castiel hold him back, Lucifer grinning ever so slightly as he stepped forwards. Gabriel turned, reaching for the Angel blade under his shirt.

‘Problem, Sammy?’ He asked, and the words caused pain to itch through every corner. He cried out in his mind, hoping Atarah could hear him, digging his nails in to his forearm. It wasn’t working, so with the image of Lucifer haunting him, he grabbed the knife from his belt and scooted back, pressing it against his neck.

He was aware that a lot of people were trying to talk now, Dean screaming at him, Castiel half-holding Dean half begging. Gabriel had dropped the Angel blade, his lips were moving but no words could be heard, and Michael was shaking Lucifer. It was a funny scene, Sam supposed, digging the knife slightly more against his flesh.

‘Sorry kid.’ The knife vanished, and he blinked at the woman in front. Atarah nodded her head slowly, and he felt the pain inside his head vanish. No longer could he hear nobody, now he knew it was silent. Atarah turned slowly, eyes focusing on Lucifer. He flinched, taking a step behind Michael, who moved out of the way quickly.

‘Now Atarah, we’re all friends here! How was I to know he would…’ Lucifer was cut off, Sam watched as the Angel disappeared.

‘Why don’t we all have a seat.’ She muttered, glancing to Charlie quickly.


	11. Disney

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two girls on a date, and then a heart-felt moment for Team Free Will

Atarah laughed as the girl danced happily around in circles. The fireworks lit up the sky, the castle looking brilliant illuminated in the different shades of reds, greens and purples. Disneyland at night, something she knew Charlie wanted to see. Most rides were shutting, but with a little Grace there was nothing she couldn’t do. The girl squealed for most of the journey round the park, laughing as she saw the Star Wars section.

‘Something funny?’ Atarah asked, watching the girl turn around sharply. She grinned, eyes lighting up in amusement.

‘I have a Princess Leia tattoo. It’s slightly embarrassing. I was drunk.’ Atarah didn’t mind the girl babbling, in fact it was quite cute. She watched her disappear, walking across to one of the shops. It didn’t take her long to find the correct gift, only to run into Charlie outside the shop. The red-head now had a set of Mickey-Mouse ears, holding a pair of red shorts she had apparently just bought.

 

Atarah smirked, waving her hand slightly. Charlie grinned in excitement as she stared down at the red-shorts embroided with little Mickey-Mouse faces around the hem. Atarah wasn’t complaining, the shorts were quite short. Nice long legs, ones that Atarah had to draw her eyes away from.

‘Here.’ She stated, handing the girl the box. She noticed the curiosity, then the absolute adoration as she opened the box. The necklace was quite small, a small chain with a Mickey Mouse on the end. She flipped it over to show Charlie the other side, and the girl laughed happily. The engraving was simple,

_To Charlie, the Nerd._

Atarah caught the girl as she flung her arms around her neck, laughing as she squeezed the smaller girl. When she pulled back, she admired the dark red flush on the girls cheeks, before leaning in slowly. She tasted oddly like cherries, not that she complained as she held the girl. Charlie seemed to melt into her arms, relaxing happily. She was glad, it had taken her the past week to get to know the girl, to make friends, and now she was quite happy to stay like this forever. She pulled back when she felt the pain, staring down at her wrist that was throbbing.

‘What’s wrong?’ Charlie asked, and Atarah could have kissed her again to still the nervous lilt to her voice. She realised the girl probably thought it was her.

‘It’s Sam, come on we can finish this later.’ She pulled Charlie close to teleport, slightly closer than necessary, before she took in the scene quickly.

The knife disappeared, and she hurried to get them all sitting down. Lucifer was safely out of the way for now, and she needed to sort this mess out. Sam sat on his own couch, not next to Gabriel, who looked terrified for his boyfriend. Michael had conveniently left, probably because he knew nothing good could come of him staying. Atarah sat down next to Sam, taking his hand and gently ran her fingers across the Crown on his inner wrist. The boy relaxed slightly, looking less nervous.

‘Lucifer was sporting a very nice bruise.’ She commented, already knowing why Sam had spoken to him. ‘I promise Sam, anything you need to know I will tell you.’ He nodded, not looking to anyone in the room but her. It was okay, she knew he needed some space, but she also knew that she couldn’t let him keep pushing Dean away. Taking his arm, she rolled up the sleeve to reveal the marks where his fingernails had dug into the skin. The wounds vanished almost immediately, but she kept his arm in place.

‘I’m not healing self-inflicted wounds anymore Sam. Not unless you make the effort. Tell them.’ He flinched, pulling his arm away and looking anywhere but at the people opposite.

‘Gabriel already knows.’ Right, like he knew the half of it. She snorted, noting how Sam was trying to avoid her eye contact now.

‘You and I both know you haven’t told him the half of it. These people are your family, and I can’t keep you safe forever. What happens when I’m not here?’ She didn’t add that it could be sooner rather than later, she didn’t need to worry him. Sam didn’t answer, so she decided trust was certainly the way to go.

‘I had a girlfriend. A human, her name was Lily. Sweet little thing, until Lucifer sent Demons after her and had her ripped apart. You want to know why I felt guilty? Because Lucifer could make me see things that weren’t real, he could make me see her after she was dead.’ She knew what Sam had seen in the cage, and saw him raise his head to look at her.

‘Sorry.’ He mumbled, looking awkward. Atarah shrugged, not really caring.

‘There were others of course. When he killed Gabriel he taunted me with his death, knowing I would sacrifice anything for the baby archangel.’ Her heart still ached at the memory, but she refused to look across to Gabriel.

‘You brought him back?’ Sam asked, looking at her curiously. She chuckled.

‘In return for three nights in the Cage, yes. I brought Gabriel back. Your turn.’ Sam looked shocked, but didn’t say anything. Not until he figured it out.

‘That was why Lucifer left. You were in the Cage.’ She gave him a small smile, remembering how she had felt the presence of a human soul, one that burned so brightly.

‘Your turn, Sam.’ Gabriel had let out a whining sound, so soft she barely heard, but she couldn’t face him now.

‘I don’t know what you want me to say.’ He looked away awkwardly, but Atarah sighed. The boy was filled with self-loathing, this wouldn’t be easy.

‘You saw Jess? And Dean?’ They were the two that had stood out for her, and he nodded. It took a minute, but eventually he continued. ‘It was supposed to get me to say yes. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of screaming, but when it was Jess or Dean…’ His voice cut off, the second name a lot more painful than the first. Atarah found the memory she was looking for, before tugging it caused issues. She saw the memory, then flinched. Sam looked horrified, backing away from her quickly.

‘No.’ He snapped, and this time Atarah wondered if she’d lost Sam.

‘Sam, I didn’t know, I’m sorry.’ She kept her voice low, like healing a wounded animal, the boy looked ready to run.

‘Don’t tell Dean.’ Dean was in the room, but she didn’t point that out.

‘Sam…’

‘No.’ He didn’t move away as she moved towards him, slowly wrapping him up in her arms. He was tall, but it didn’t stop her from coddling her like he was a babe.

‘Me and Charlie are going to give you some space, and you’re going to tell them what happened.’ Atarah left the man, walking across to Charlie, offering her hand. The girl accepted, linking their fingers together, before she led her out of the room. Once they were safely in her bedroom, Atarah let out a sigh.

‘What happened to Sam?’

‘Something with his Dad. Or something his Dad didn’t prevent.’ Atarah mumbled, looking down awkwardly. Tears filled her eyes, and Charlie moved, quite unsure.

‘I had a kid. A boy, little sweetheart. He didn’t make it, the Grace inside him burnt up. Reminds me of Sam.’ Charlie pulled her in, and soon she forgot everything she had ever said about not crying in front of people. Tears freely left her eyes, and she sobbed into the front of Charlie’s shirt until sleep took over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last Chapter I had pre-written, please comment if you want more!!


	12. Useless Paperclip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sammy talks to the group about what happened, and Charlie punches Lucifer

Sam shifted uncomfortably on the couch. His brother sat across from him, waiting patiently for him to speak. Castiel was waiting as well, although he looked less harsh than Dean. Less chance of annoying the Angel, he already thought he was an abomination. Gabriel was the one he was worried about, seated on the couch beside Dean and Castiel, not speaking or even looking in his direction. It was awkward, and Sam didn’t even know where to begin.

‘Sam?’ Dean’s voice was too soft, but Sam still rose his head, making eye contact briefly before looking away.

‘In the Cage… Lucifer… He really did mean it when he said I was his bitch.’ He paused, Castiel got it first, eyes widening in horror. Sam looked away, but Dean looked confused.

‘I don’t…’ He was cut off by Castiel, who appeared to know that Sam couldn’t say the words to his brother.

‘Rape, Dean.’ He froze, Sam could see the muscles tense up, and he looked anywhere but at his brother.

‘Michael as well, although Lucifer threatened him if he didn’t.’ Sam really did wonder how his life had got this bad, that now he had his brother unable to speak to him.

‘You said… about me and Jess…’ Dean trailed off, but his meaning was clear. Did Lucifer make Sam see them. He went still, before briefly nodding, ignoring the way Gabriel rose his head. He figured he’d be boyfriendless by the end of this.

‘Wasn’t the first time.’ Sam sucked in breath, waiting for Dean to respond. The room was silent, Sam knew his brother was staring, but he refused to acknowledge the glare.

‘When?’ He was surprised by the tone, genuine confusion. He didn’t speak to begin with, trying to ignore the tears that threatened to spill. Stupid Atarah for her abilities, this would never have been an issue…

‘I was 14.’ He didn’t expand, but he heard Dean breathe harshly, tensing his fists.

‘Who?’ One syllable responses from Dean, that was bad news.

‘One of Dad’s hunting friends. You were out for the evening with a girl, Dad came back and…’ He stopped shutting his eyes as remembered the scene flick across his memory. It was why he had decided he had to leave, that he had to get out of that family. Dean wouldn’t let anyone hurt him, but Sam? He’d always been too weak, he could tell now by the way his brother had fallen still.

‘And?’

‘Dad told me it was my fault, that I had to learn to be strong like you.’ He’d tried, Heaven knows he had tried to be like his elder brother. It just never worked, he wasn’t good enough, he couldn’t keep up with him. Dean wasn’t speaking at all now, and Sam wished the ground would swallow him up.

‘Jesus… Sam…’ The voice concerned him, it sounded hollow and broken. He carefully rose his head, preparing himself for the look of disgust, but found none. Dean was crying, silent tears rolling down his cheeks. Anger shone through his eyes. Gabriel looked equally horrified, but Cas was trying to appear neutral. He thanked him for that.

‘It’s fine.’ Sam knew that was a lie, but he really didn’t need his brother to keep sucking up to him because he thought he couldn’t cope.

‘I’m going to bed.’ He stated, standing up and walking out. He was aware that he shared a room with Gabriel, but there was a couch in the room, he figured that would be safe. The shower did little to stop his pain, only hid the tears that broke from his eyes. He stepped out, grabbing one of the pillows and putting it on the couch. He settled, even though he was quite large, wrapping himself in a blanket.

‘Get in the bed, Sam.’ Gabriel said when he walked in, ignoring the mild protests from Sam. Resigned to his fate, he rolled of the couch and got into the bed, waiting for Gabriel to say something harsh. He didn’t, stripping down his clothes and changing into nightwear. He wondered for the smallest fraction of a second if Gabriel was mad enough to hurt him, which caused his head to snap around.

‘You think I’d do that?’ He looked horrified, and Sam realised the Angel read his mind.

‘Your thoughts are screaming at me Sam.’ He stated, sliding under the sheets. Gabriel looked unsure of what to do, so Sam made the first move.

‘I figured you wouldn’t want to be my boyfriend anymore.’ Gabriel looked stunned, confused, and then sighed.

‘Sammoose, you are genuinely the most idiotic man I have ever met. It’s a good thing I love you.’ He stated, pulling Sam in for a hug. But the hunter was frozen, thinking about those last three words. Gabriel chuckled, repeating them softly as he pulled the Hunter close.

‘Sleep, Sam. I’ll keep you safe.’ He relaxed slightly, trusting Gabriel as he shut his eyes.

 

Dean watched Sam walk into the kitchen, then watched him freeze upon spotting him. Dean felt his heart ache, how he’d never noticed something was wrong with his brother. God, he wished he could kill him. Whoever that hunter was, he would have ripped him apart for laying a hand on Sammy. He just couldn’t understand why Sam didn’t trust him enough to tell him. He walked across to his brother, slowly so that Sam had enough time to relax his muscles before Dean hugged him. It was weird, they hadn’t properly hugged in a long time, but Dean knew he was close to crying. It didn’t matter, turned out, because Sammy already was.

‘Dean… God… So sorry….’ He mumbled against the shirt, clutching Dean as if he were afraid he’d leave. He held Sam tighter, trying to keep his voice steady,

‘It’s okay Sammy, you’re okay. I’ve got you.’ And that is how they stayed for thirty minutes, holding each other as if it were the only thing they had left. It was broken by Gabriel walking into the kitchen, followed quickly by Castiel. Dean lowered his arms slowly, stepping away from Sam in time to see his eyes light up when Gabriel wrapped his arms around his stomach. Dean relaxed back against the Angel he already knew was there, smiling at the familiar scent of Cas.

‘If we’re all having a moment, can I join?’ Charlie appeared, looking slightly dishevelled, but she rushed forwards to join a hug with Sam and Gabriel, before she pulled Dean and Cas in. Dean laughed, smiling softly as the girl he considered a sister, taking in her appearance with a smirk.

‘You get lucky?’ He regretted it when her face fell, but Charlie quickly covered it with a smile.

‘No, but I got some sleep, which I consider a miracle.’ Sam tensed up, Dean turning to see Lucifer enter the kitchen. He ignored all of them, looking to be in an incredibly foul mood, possibly due to a high selection of bruises covering his body. Dean was going to punch him, hell he really would, but turns out he was beaten to it. Charlie moved so fast that neither Angel, nor the hunters could stop the small woman before she had backhanded the Devil across the face.

‘You USELESS PAPERCLIP!’ It would have been funny, except she screamed it with such anger that it genuinely frightened Dean. The Devil’s eyes widened, obviously understanding what she was talking about, before Atarah walked in. She didn’t hesitate, stepping in between the two.

‘Charlie, it won’t help.’ Lucifer tensed, but didn’t speak. Dean then noticed Atarah’s red-rimmed eyes, and the look of regret in her eyes. He looked between the three of them, trying to figure out what had happened.

‘It will make me feel a hell of a lot better.’ She snarled, but softened when Atarah shook her head, pressing a kiss to the forehead of the girl. Charlie sighed, wrapping her arms around her waist, although she still glared at Lucifer. The archangel looked angry,

‘You told her?!’ Atarah didn’t answer him, just shot him an angry glare, before smiling at Sam. Dean noted the way her face lit up, like a proud mother. Sam smiled back, and Dean relaxed. Tension started to diffuse, people relaxing into normal morning routines, until Charlie called out from the other room.

‘Guys, I’ve found the Leviathans!’


	13. Highway to Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boom.

Gabriel walked beside his boyfriend, hand in hand, as the rest of the group prepared for the Leviathan attack. They had set the bait five days ago, preparing the abandoned warehouse with all the traps and sigils needed to keep the bastards at bay. Lucifer was sulking in the corner at the moment, over the past five days he had been increasingly angry. What was even more peculiar, in Gabriel’s opinion, was Atarah not commenting on it. She kept her distance from the angry Archangel, spending most of her time with Charlie.

He was glad she was happy, but everything had gone wrong last night. Charlie had come in crying and angry, saying that Atarah had broken up with her. Nobody knew why, Charlie herself had no idea, all Atarah had said was that it wouldn’t work. Gabriel sighed, squeezing Moose’s hand tightly as he looked across to Charlie, who was standing next to his brother and Dean. Crowley was also present, but he was sticking close to Michael. Atarah finished drawing one of the sigils, before walking across to Lucifer. The Angel rose his head, looked even more angry, then looked away.

‘We need to get out of here, they will be coming soon.’ Atarah shuffled us all towards the exit, Gabriel happily stepping out into the breeze. It would be five hours until they took the bait, and the Leviathans arrived at the location. How exactly Atarah had planned that, he didn’t know, but it was a solid plan. It meant they had time to eat lunch as one big group, even Crowley settled down. Sam nudged Gabriel half way through, nodding across to where Atarah was sitting. She hadn’t touched the food, and was looking across to Lucifer. The Angel rose his head, looked across to Charlie, then sighed.

Gabriel couldn’t understand what was wrong. Maybe she was nervous, which was okay, but he wished she would talk about it. When the time came, the group got ready, prepping with guns and ammo ready to take down these creatures. Guns may not work, but they would cause a necessary distraction. He turned to his Moose, who had just prepped his gun, before pressing a kiss to his cheek. The Hunter chuckled, wrapping an arm around his shoulders happily. Atarah smiled, hugging Sam and Gabriel.

‘Ready?’ Lots of nods, lots of hugging between the members of the group. Atarah even hugged Charlie, murmuring something in the girl’s ear before pulling back. She glanced to Lucifer, who winked, offering out his arms. Gabriel was surprised when she hugged him, and could tell the rest of the group were equally surprised.

Gabriel never thought he would be stalking a building, yet here he was, crouching low as they approached. The huge gas tanks stretched out in front, if they could get to those then they had cover. Lucifer was being rather obnoxious, singing rather than making an effort to hide himself.

‘Highhhhhway to Hell, Highhhhhway to Hell!’ He hummed along happily, apparently not bothered with everyone glaring at him. That was until bullets flew in his direction. The sound of gunfire caused everyone to drop, Gabriel watching as Atarah knocked Lucifer to the floor, one of the bullets hitting her instead. She rolled to her feet, tugging Lucifer along behind her, before they reached the gas tanks.

‘Sure about this?’ Gabriel asked, feeling like something bad was going to happen. The group all nodded, pulling guns out ready. He looked to Atarah, who came towards him carefully.

‘This is going to work, Gabriel.’ She smiled, her eyes shining slightly, and Gabriel knew he had seen that look before. He couldn’t place it, so followed the rest of the group towards the warehouse. The lights were off when they snuck in, and he instantly knew something was wrong. They kept close, the entire group shuffling together, until the lights came on.

It was blindingly bright, the Archangel flinched and pushed closer to the rest of the team as they turned to face a man, who looked thoroughly amused.

‘No powers work in here, Atarah. Angels are beaten by Leviathan.’ Gabriel gasped as someone grabbed him, trying to pull on energy to get away from the situation. He couldn’t, noting his boyfriend had also been grabbed.

‘Atarah, you aren’t an Angel! It won’t work against you!’ Lucifer called, and sure enough, one of the Leviathan that came at Cassie was shot down by a beam of light. Gunshots started ringing out as the group covered themselves, I fell forwards as the guy who was holding me was shot. Sam pulled me up, pushing me behind him as we narrowly avoided another attack.

‘Atarah, give me some of your Grace!’ Lucifer called, and the group turned in time to see her hesitate, before she nodded. Lucifer pulled her in, lips briefly hitting hers before she gasped. It all went wrong. Lucifer grabbed her by the hair, pulling the gun from her belt and pointing it in our direction, before all gunfire stopped.

‘Richard Roman, I have a present for you.’ He chucked Atarah forward, the girl hitting the floor hard. The man smiled, flicking his hand. People moved behind us, and then everything went black. The last thing Gabriel saw was Lucifer looking down at Atarah, his face oddly calm.

 

Atarah looked across her friends, each of which were currently sitting in a chair, unable to move. Steel cuffs tied them down, and all of them were facing her. She would have laughed, had she not been strung up like a pig ready for butchering. Her wrists were tied together above her head, toes barely brushing the ground, blood trickling down the side of her face. Lucifer stood in front of her, his expression neutral. The murderous looks of those behind him made her want to laugh. This was ironic in so many ways.

‘Lucifer, I must say I’m impressed.  When you said you could bring me the entire group, I didn’t quite believe you.’ Richard Roman, the dick they had been tracking, circled her with amusement in his eyes. Leviathan. She fricking hated the creatures. Almost as much as she hated Lucifer. Well.

‘I exist to be a pain.’ Lucifer said with a chuckle, stepping away as Roman circled.

‘I know how she is planning on getting you back to Purgatory.’ Dammit Lucifer. Atarah looked annoyed, shaking her head slightly at him. He ignored her, looking to Richard.

‘How can I trust you?’ Roman asked, looking across.

‘I’ve given you all of them. Trust me, I have no intention on going back in that Cage.’ Lucifer looked smug, face twisting into all sorts of emotions she struggled to read. Her eyes flickered to Charlie, noting the blood smeared across her face, and her heart leaped. She would manage to keep her safe, she promised that to herself. Charlie may hate her, but Atarah couldn’t let her get hurt.

‘I thought the two of you were betrothed?’ He inquired, running a finger down her arm. Atarah tried not to shudder, grossed out by the man in the suit.

‘It didn’t work out.’ Lucifer commented, his Poker face still strong. She wondered what it would have been like if she had said yes all those years ago, being Lucifer’s wife. Would this be the end result?

‘I’m inclined to believe you, I want to Lucifer, I do. But I can’t believe you would sell out the mother of your child in return for a life ruled by Leviathan. It just doesn’t quite add up.’ Atarah held still, looking to Lucifer with tears in her eyes, this was one conversation she couldn’t handle.

‘Yes well, the bitch got him killed didn’t she.’ Anger laced his tone, and tears rolled freely down her cheeks. Lucifer didn’t look at her, wouldn’t look at her. It had been her fault he had died, her poor little Jacob, and Lucifer when he had found out had been less than happy.

‘How is she going to send us back?’ Atarah rose her head, frantically shaking it. Tears mingled with blood and sweat, but Lucifer ignored her.

‘She recovered her wings. They have enough power to send you back.’ Atarah cried out, sobbing loudly now.

‘Then we cut them off.’ Richard stated, and Atarah froze. Lucifer grinned savagely, flicking the knife from his pocket. He offered it to Richard, who looked amused.

‘Spread them out, Atarah.’ She ignored him, so Lucifer flicked his hand. The Golden wings spread behind her, held in place by her own Grace.

‘Please… don’t do this Lucifer.’ How ironic, begging yet again for her wings to be saved.

‘Before we cut them off..’ Richard paused, turning to his remaining Leviathan, ‘Have at em’ boys.’ Lucifer hid his flinch well, although Gabriel let out the most pained sound Atarah had ever heard as she felt hands ripping at her wings. Biting her lip hard, she hid the scream as feathers were torn, golden staining red before they hit the floor. Roman looked amused, waiting until her wings were basically bare before pulling his men back. By Father, it hurt. So much pain, so much blood. Her eye sight was blurring, but she held onto the word.

‘Now Lucifer, why don’t you do the honours.’ He gestured to her wings, looking pleased as Lucifer froze. It was gone a second later, he stepped forwards and round to behind her, his body heat actually comforting despite the situation.

‘Lucifer, please…’ Exact same words she had used last time, the moment they had been severed. Her eyes flickered to Charlie, then to Gabriel who was being held down now by a pretty big-looking man. The knife slid against the top, and she screamed. It was loud enough that Roman didn’t hear Lucifer mutter apologies, didn’t notice how Lucifer tried to be as gentle as possible. He left the final chord of the first, moving on to the second. Atarah didn’t quite know how she hadn’t passed out, but she held it, ready and waiting.

‘Ready?’ Lucifer murmured quietly in her left ear, and she gave the smallest of nods. With one final blow he severed both wings from her body, and screamed to the people chained to the chairs to shut their eyes. Atarah tipped her head back, forming the energy inside her body, channelling it just as she had been taught.

Her body exploded in light, bursting from every pore as her wings burnt up around her. She heard the Leviathan scream, then the screams of Purgatory as the energy sucked them in. She hoped they had listened when Lucifer had told them to shut their eyes, otherwise they would be very dead right about now. It burnt, so much light pouring from her, but she kept going until she felt the last Leviathan die. When the pain receded, her eyes flickered open.

Lucifer was already at her side, cupping her cheek and talking, although she couldn’t quite hear the words. He looked frantic, begging perhaps, but she couldn’t hear him. Not at all.


End file.
